


Stand By Me

by mismatchedsockdrawer



Series: You've got me going crazy [4]
Category: SHINee, Super Junior, VIXX
Genre: M/M, Magic, Sorcerers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-08-28 03:41:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8430460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mismatchedsockdrawer/pseuds/mismatchedsockdrawer
Summary: Jinki had been caring for his younger brothers since Taemin was born. But Taemin was born into a cruel world, one that hated magic and everything to do with those who practiced it, and for Jinki, Jonghyun, and Taemin, all born with magic flowing strong through their veins, they were forced to flee, adopting a young Minho along the way. But Taemin's magic is stronger than everyone else's; he can learn someone else's gifts simply by being around them. The brothers face certain challenges because of their gifts. Taemin must learn to control his various powers, Jinki must remain the protective older brother, Jonghyun and Kibum must learn how to love each other, and Minho must learn how special his own gifts are. Together they must learn how to live on the run, how to develop their powers even when the world is against them, and they must learn how to find love when their lifespans stretch far beyond those of ordinary humans. From life on the run, to life living in a castle, to being the keepers of all supernatural creatures in the present day, Jinki and his brothers must learn to embrace their magic, trust each other, and learn to survive the dangers of their ever changing world.





	1. "I'm tired of running"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE do read the notes at the end. I have some very special notes for you all.

The first time Jinki held Taemin, he knew his baby brother was special. They all radiated magic, of course they did, but Jinki knew Taemin was different. Knew it from the first moment he was born. Jinki could feel their mother’s magic draining at an alarming rate. 

“Mommy?” Jonghyun was seven, sitting on the bed beside their mother, wiping the sweat away from her forehead. Jinki could sense Jonghyun’s nervousness, even if his younger brother wasn’t aware of it. His hair was dark red and Jinki had to resist the urge to laugh at the tail Jonghyun had unconsciously grown. He still didn’t have his abilities under control.

“Jjongie, you need to be strong for me. Can you promise me you’ll be a good big brother for Taemin? Promise you’ll listen to Jinki?”

“Mommy, no.” Tears were in Jonghyun’s eyes and even if he didn’t entirely understand what was happening, he knew enough.

Jinki rested a hand on Jonghyun’s head and then met his mother’s eyes. He could see the light fading from them. “Mother, what do I need to know?” Jinki asked, setting Taemin in Jonghyun’s arms to take his mother’s hand.

“Protect them. Take care of them. Raise them like I raised you. Be careful with whom you trust. And—” She gripped Jinki’s hand tightly and he could feel her passing the last of her remaining magic into him. “Don’t let them forget that I love them.”

Jinki pressed his hand over Jonghyun’s eyes as tears welled up in his own. “Hyung.” Jonghyun choked out, sobs shaking his small body.

“It’s okay. Turn around. Come on hand me Taemin.” He said gently. “Now up, come on let hyung carry you.” He pressed a kiss to Jonghyun’s temple. “Shut your eyes for me okay? Promise you’ll keep them closed?” Jonghyun nodded faintly. “Good. That’s good.”

“Is mommy…?” Jonghyun asked as Jinki stepped out of the room. 

“Shh. It’s okay Jjongie. She’s in a better place now. Just keep your chin up for me. Mommy would want that.”

Jonghyun buried his face in Jinki’s shoulder, trying not to cry. “I miss mommy.”

“I know little brother. I know.”

 

\---  
Taemin had just learned to crawl when his powers started manifesting. Jinki was beside himself. Jonghyun was constantly getting into trouble and Taemin had begun teleporting, always managing to get himself out of Jinki’s grasp just when he was ready to catch him. 

 

\---  
Jinki had trouble with work because of how hard it was to take care of his younger brothers, and he finally had to hire someone to help him. Na Yeon was an older woman, getting on in years, but she didn't seem to mind either the magic or the youthful energy of Jonghyun and Taemin. She let them live in her home provided that Jinki cast spells for her once a week that eased the swelling of her joints. Jinki finally had time to head out and work.

Every morning he walked to the main city, set up his mat, and offered up his services. It wasn't always easy to find work. Sure he could move and spell objects as well as communicate through people's minds, but he couldn't see the future anymore. That gift had only lasted for about a year after his mother died. Sometimes it was incredibly difficult for him to even bring in income.

And then one evening as he was returning home, he ran into a young boy, maybe eleven years old. "Sir, can you spare me even one coin? I haven't eaten in days. Please."

Jinki's heart crushed. It was hard enough feeding himself and his brothers, but this boy was skinny and frail. Jinki took just a moment to probe into the boys mind and found he indeed was telling the truth about it. But he caught a thought that told him the boy would do anything, even use his own powers. And that's when Jinki realized that he could feel the boy's magic. It was just tingling below the surface, suppressed to conserve energy.

"What's your gift?" Jinki asked softly.

"I can control elements. I sometimes make potions if I have the components for it. And my name is Minho."

Jinki smiled. "Do you think you could come work with me tomorrow? Use your gift to help me earn a bit more money? I promise I'll feed you."

Minho brightened. "Yes. Yes of course."

Jinki chuckled, running his hands through Minho's dark hair. "Well come along then."

When they arrived at their home, Na Yeon huffed about an extra mouth to feed, but Jinki steadfastly held his ground, and set up another bed for Minho, next to Jonghyun's bed. The younger boy for his part brightened up excitedly at the idea of having a new playmate, and his skin went a bright shade of blue as he flung his arms around Jinki in thanks. Minho looked startled, but Jonghyun simply dragged Minho to the bedroom and pulled out his book of spells, excited to show Minho his abilities.

Taemin planted himself in the middle of them, settled on Jonghyun's lap and pulling at the spell book. Jinki stepped in with plates of food and Minho's nostrils flared as he sat up, reaching for the food eagerly. Taemin finally managed to steal the book while the others were distracted and Jinki glanced over at him as Taemin began turning pages, brightening at the sketches. Taemin glanced down at his own hands and then suddenly lifted both of them. Jinki started as he realized Taemin’s left hand was ablaze suddenly, and as he reached for his youngest brother, Taemin flipped his hand over and a small flurry of snow replaced the fire, and little bursts of snowflakes brushed over Jinki's face. And as frightened as Jinki was at Taemin’s display at such a young age, it was the most beautiful thing Jinki had ever seen.

 

\---  
Things weren't always easy. Taemin was six when war broke out and the four boys spent the next few years on the run. As soon as the war ended there was a sudden execution of some king in a southern kingdom at the hand of a vengeful sorcerer. Witch hunts began to take place intent on killing anyone possessing magic and Jinki was forced to pack up his little family again, fleeing far away from his home and country.

But they were hunted in most of the places they passed through, forced to flee in the middle of the night once the townspeople caught wind of their magic. None of them practiced for years, too afraid of being caught, as even Taemin understood the danger they were constantly in. By the time Taemin was fifteen they had finally settled again, thousands of miles from their home, and all of them began to take normal jobs, concealing their magic.

Eventually they found a kingdom that was accepting of magic. Minho got a job with the healer and Jinki was hired as the court sorcerer. For the first time in years, the four of them were able to nurture their abilities. 

Taemin’s abilities had grown, immensely. More than any of them had previously thought. And while everyone else’s gifts had been somewhat stunted from years on the run, Taemin seemed to be stronger than before. 

“Have you been practicing in secret?” Jinki asked casually one evening, the four of them gathered together in their quarters, sitting around a piping hot meal.

“Of course not.” Taemin replied. “It’s been unsafe.”

“But you’re so strong.” Minho said. “Stronger than any of us now and we’ve all been forced to sit on our asses for the past nine years.”

Taemin shrugged. “Other than a couple times when I was little and couldn’t help it, I haven’t done anything. Honest.”

Jinki eyed him for a moment. “I mean I believe you. I just don’t understand it.”

“What can you do now?” Jonghyun asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t tried to do too much.”

“Can you shapeshift?”

Taemin concentrated really hard and then suddenly his left arm was dull green, bulbous, and dripping. “Ew.” He muttered.

Jonghyun had a disgusted expression on his face. “Is that goo?”

“I think it’s mucus.”

Minho choked. “That’s gross. Jonghyun you can’t do that can you? Make your limbs an entirely different substance?”

“No. I’ve only been able to just change colors or change my form entirely. I’ve never done, well… _that_.”

Jinki rolled his eyes. “Well it’s definitely disgusting. And pointless I’d think.” Taemin was poking his finger from his other hand into his arm, lighting up when it went in with no resistance, coming out the other side cleanly. Minho swallowed harshly and staggered out of the room, mumbling something about needing air.

“It’s not pointless.” Taemin said, pulling Jinki’s knife out of his belt and cleanly sticking it into his arm. “Look! It doesn’t hurt.” Jonghyun blanched and carefully stepped out of the room.

Jinki frowned, his face furling up in disgust. “Don’t do that.” He said, removing the knife from Taemin’s arm.

“No but don’t you understand? I can become a knight now. Nothing can hurt me.”

“A knight? Are you crazy?”

Taemin shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about it. I knew you wouldn’t approve.”

“I don’t. How long have you been considering this?”

“Awhile. I go down and watch the knights train sometimes. The prince offered to train me if you’d let me.”

“How long ago was this?”

“A few months ago.”

Jinki sighed. “You’re going to go out on the battlefield with goopy limbs?”

Taemin shook his head. “Of course not. That’s impractical.” He said, focusing for a second before his arm took it’s normal shape again. “But come on. I’d make a great knight don’t you think?”

“It seems you’ve made up your mind. You can speak with the prince about this, but you’d better be careful. I need to go check on your brothers.” Jinki said, getting to his feet. 

“Thanks!” Taemin said excitedly. “I really appreciate it.”

Jinki managed a smile. “You’re only young once. You ought to enjoy it while you have the chance.”

Less than three months later, Taemin had risen in the ranks, being appointed as the prince’s personal guard, charged with protecting him with his life, a task Taemin performed the rest of the prince’s life. Taemin was by his side when he became King Donghae, fought beside him when their kingdom was invaded, prepared Donghae for his wedding to the princess from the same kingdom, ending the hostilities between them. Taemin watched their three sons grow up, trained them himself. Donghae marveled at Taemin’s permanent youthfulness, even as he himself grew older with each passing year. When his eldest son Sungmin was crowned as prince, Donghae charged Taemin with protecting him. And Taemin did, serving both his king and prince until Donghae stepped down from the throne, Sungmin crowned king, ruling in his father's stead. Two years later, Donghae passed away. And Taemin never left Sungmin’s side, the pattern repeating itself for nearly a century.

To Taemin the years felt short. Him and his brothers never aged. Their abilities only grew with each passing year. 

The turn of the century brought about many changes. The current king, Jungsoo, had never married, never had children, and he was growing old. He appointed a successor and when he found out who it was, Taemin felt a rush of fear course through him. He burst down the door of the quarters he still shared with his brothers. “We need to leave.” He said, breathless.

“What?” Minho asked, looking up from the potion he was crafting.

Jinki stepped out of the adjacent library, a book in his hand and spectacles slipping off his nose. “What’s going on?”

“Jungsoo appointed a successor.” Taemin began. “It’s Heechul.”

Jinki blanched. “Oh god. When’s the ceremony to take place?”

“A fortnight. We need to leave, _now_.”

“Minho, go find Jonghyun. Come, we must pack now.”

Taemin nodded, obeying Jinki’s request, and the four of them spent the remainder of the day packing their things. Taemin shrank down everything so it fit into a few bags, and in the dead of night, they loaded up on horses, fleeing the kingdom they had called their home for over a hundred years. They were on the run, once again. And they would continue to look over their shoulders for nearly half a century.

 

\---  
Jonghyun trudged back to the cave they had been holed up in for nearly a month. He dumped an armful of logs down beside the fire, placing two of them on it, watching sparks fly from the wood. Taemin looked up from the heavy tome on his lap. “What’s with the sour mood?”

“Oh nothing. I’m just tired of running.”

“We all are.”

“Fucking Kim Heechul.” He grumbled, plunking himself down beside Taemin.

“You know why we had to leave. Jungsoo would have had our heads if we’d tried to do anything about him.”

“I just don’t understand how you could be faithfully serving at Jungsoo’s side and every man before him for a hundred years but he disregarded everything you did for him and his family and appointed the one man he knew would drive us out of his kingdom.”

Taemin sighed. “Jungsoo didn’t do it to drive us away. He had allegiances to Heechul and you know what kind of man he was. It wasn’t our place to decide his successor.”

“Maybe not, but shouldn’t over a hundred years of service warrant at least some consideration for your best interest?”

“Perhaps. Does it matter anyway? Heechul is dead. His grandson rules in his stead now and is a far eviler man than Heechul ever was. Honestly it was a matter of time before someone would become king who didn’t approve of us. The fact that we lived in safety and comfort for as long as we did is a marvel in itself.”

Jonghyun grunted in response. “Regardless, it’s still unfair.”

“Life isn’t fair.” Jinki said from the entrance of the cave.

“But I’m tired of others dictating our lives for us. We’ve never been able to really settle down other than those years.”

“Who we are is why we cannot settle down. Our lifespans are so much longer than anyone else.”

Jonghyun looked away from Jinki bitterly. “I know that. But should we really be denied love and affection when everyone else seems to have it in their lives?”

Jinki sat down in front of Jonghyun, stroking the younger’s knee gently. “You already know our kind are meant to be with others of our own kind. Human women cannot bear our children. Human’s lives are but a blink in our existence.”

“It’s still unfair.”

“I know. You think I have not also desired my own family and children?”

“But you’ve not yet had anyone you even wanted to share that with.” Jonghyun snapped.

“You know how hard I looked for ways to extend Somi’s life. You forget how long Minho and I searched, how many tomes and spells we read and tested before we had to give up. We wanted you to be happy.”

“But it was all for naught wasn’t it?” Jonghyun said, getting to his feet. “I’m going out. Don’t come after me. I need my space. I’ll be back tomorrow or the next day.”

Jinki nodded at him. “Be safe.” He said.

“I always am. The whole turning into a tree thing hasn’t failed me yet.” He stalked out of the cave, brushing past Minho as the other arrived at the cave, a puzzled expression as he saw the look on Jonghyun’s face, but he didn’t ask of it, simply letting Jonghyun leave.

Jonghyun walked until his feet were sore. He walked until he reached the nearby sea, and he let the waves lap at his feet. The water eased the soreness and he eventually settled himself on a rock halfway in the water. Each wave splashed against the rock, the spray washing over him every so often. It was silent and peaceful. The sun had set hours ago, and Jonghyun took a few slow deep breaths, enjoying the fresh salty air, and let his gaze wander out towards where the sea was more still, the reflection of the stars and moon visible on the water. 

There was movement suddenly, something unfamiliar for the way the ocean moved. Jonghyun squinted, rising to his feet. But he found he couldn’t see anything amiss. He frowned, wishing he knew how Taemin made his eyes see better. That thing where Taemin could shapeshift his eyes to be those of a hawk, vision so sharp he could see movement more than a day’s journey away from them. He sighed, sitting back down, figuring it to likely be some large fish of a kind. A few minutes later, he saw it again and this time he was determined to figure out what it was. It was closer to him this time. He blinked and it was gone. “The fuck?” He muttered, confused. He hopped off of the rock he was on, the water all the way around it now and he got his feet and ankles wet as he returned to the sandy beach. He wasn’t alone.

A lone man stood a ways up the beach, his hand extended. _No. He couldn’t be._ Jonghyun swallowed his nervousness, taking a few hesitant steps towards the stranger, not wanting to startle him. “Excuse me.” Jonghyun said from a distance away. The man turned to him. “I mean no harm. May I approach?” He asked.

“Yes.”

Jonghyun waited until he was standing next to the other man before speaking again. “My name is Jonghyun. I can’t help but notice that you have magic.”

“Yes. I’ve been living here most of my life. There’s a lot you can do when none will follow you into the water, especially if you’re able to conjure an army of sharks at the flick of a hand. I’m Kibum.”

“Damn. You’re not going to hurt me are you?”

“Depends. What can you do?”

“I can shapeshift. I’m not really that good. I should be better. I’m nearly 200 years old but my younger brother can do way more than I can.”

“You seem rather bitter about that.”

“I am. He’s always been better than me. All of us really. He’s always been the one to get all the good things.” He swallowed. “I’m sorry. It’s rude of me to dump this on you when we just met.”

Kibum smiled. “I don’t mind. Would you like to go back to your rock to talk more?”

“Sure.” As they walked towards the rock, Jonghyun started talking. “Taemin was always able to detach himself from the wenches he fucked. He’s always had his life under control. It’s unfair.”

“Life isn’t fair.” Kibum said gently.

Jonghyun laughed. “My older brother just said that to me.”

“Did you have a falling out?”

“Not really. I just needed space I suppose.” They climbed onto the rock, settling down side by side.

“You’re the first sorcerer I’ve met in my entire life. I’m almost as old as you. I’ve reached 183 summers this year.”

“All this time you’ve been alone?”

Kibum nodded. “And you’ve been with your brothers?”

“Yes. There’s four of us. We lived together in a kingdom for a hundred years.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“It must have been terrible to be alone all your life.”

“Yes. But I’m used to it by now.”

“Would you like to come back with me? Live with me and my brothers? You don’t have to stay forever.”

Kibum smiled. “Sure. I’d like that.” They remained sitting in silence until the sun began to rise, the colors reflecting over the water. “Shall we go? I’d very much like to meet your family.”

“As long as you promise I’ll always be your favorite, no matter how nice the others seem.”

“I promise. You’ll always be my favorite Jonghyun.”

Jonghyun wasn’t sure what possessed him to do so, but he leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to Kibum’s lips. The other sorcerer looked at him in surprise, pulling away. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what—”

Kibum cut him off by kissing him back. “Come let’s go to my home. It’s…it’s more private there.” He said breathlessly.

Jonghyun grinned. “Okay.” He breathed, chasing after Kibum’s lips again. _Perhaps_ , Jonghyun thought as his body tangled with Kibum under the blankets, _perhaps he had a chance at love after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some very special Halloween notes for all of you.  
> -If you hadn’t noticed, this is part 4 in my series focused on Shinee! There will be no set pattern for how I update, mostly a self indulgent fic that I wanted to share with you. I’ve had the idea to write a Shinee bit since I first brought them into the Vixx fic and well, I hope you guys like it.  
> -Also, I have thought through the next couple fics in the series and I would like to share my plans with you guys. As you may have noticed I apparently enjoy having multiple projects to work on at the same time so my future plans will also involve 2 fics being published at the same time. The 5th and 6th fics in the series will be Monsta X and Infinite, followed by the BTS sequel series (featuring Taekook) at 7th, and Knk at 8th. I have some potential plans for History, Btob, Exo, and Seventeen, but none of them are actually solid plans and may never come to fruition.  
> -I just wanted to share with you my plans, thank you all for your devotion and dedication in following this series, and I hope you all enjoy what’s next to come. I love you all! Thanks for reading, enjoy the special Halloween updates (triple update, idk how I managed it), and I’ll see you next time! :)  
> follow me on twitter for more info, updates, or to give me fic ideas @kmismatchedsock


	2. Blood Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm sorry I haven't made a second chapter until now (and I'm sorry I haven't updated the other fics yet, I'm working on it.) Also I'm sorry this isn't longer but there will be another chapter continuing where this one leaves off so this part of the story isn't over yet.  
> This chapter bounces a bit between past and present but it shouldn't be too hard to tell where those jumps are. This is basically me attempting to write a little bit of mystery stuff so hopefully it goes well lol. This has a bit of crossover with chapter 14 of my got7 fic, and it may answer some questions that chapter left.  
> I hope you guys like it, and please let me know if something doesn't make sense so I know what to clarify in the next chapter.

“Uh oh, I know that look.” Kibum said as Taemin stepped into the dining room. 

“Is something wrong?” Jinki asked.

Taemin shook his head. “I don’t know. There was a disturbance. I’m not sure what of, or where it’s coming from but something horrible and sacred has been tampered with. I could feel it.”

“In the country or somewhere else?”

“I don’t know.” He mumbled, stepping past them and out the door.

They sat in relative silence for a long moment before Taemin stormed back into the room. He slammed something down on the kitchen table, the sound of something shattering as it made contact with the wooden surface. He pulled his hand away and they leaned in, curious. 

“Taemin wait…” Jinki said softly, reaching for Taemin’s arm before he could walk further down the hallway. Taemin simply jerked his arm out of Jinki’s grasp.

“I want nothing to do with it. I want it resolved and I will be left out of every single aspect of this.” Taemin grit out before disappearing around the corner.

Jinki turned his attention back to the table, where Kibum was already pushing pieces of an amulet back together while Jonghyun stared at the symbol they created. “This feels familiar.”

“I can’t place it but I feel like I’ve seen it before.” Kibum said and took a long hard stare at the amulet. “I’m going to get some books.” He said and returned with his arms full of dusty books.

 

\---  
“It is with great pleasure that I announce to you, your champion. The great, the powerful—” The loud booming voice continued to echo throughout the arena.

Kibum huffed, bored and disinterested. “I swear that man’s ego is bigger than this whole stadium.”

Taemin snorted. “Probably.” 

“What’d I miss?” Minho asked excitedly, coming back to his seat with his hands full of snacks. 

“Nothing much. They’ve announced the champions.”

“Damn it! I missed the best part.” Minho whined, squishing himself in between Jonghyun and Jinki.

“We still have the same champion as last time. He has yet to be defeated.” Jinki said helpfully. “His competitor is new though, but he looks awfully scrawny.”

“How can you see anything from how far away we’re sitting?” Jonghyun asked, squinting.

“I keep telling you there’s ways to improve your vision.”

Jonghyun waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t need it.”

“So what’s this new guy’s name?”

“He’s called Gravekeeper.”

“What a stupid name.” Kibum mumbled. “I mean look at him. How the hell is he supposed to take out Nighthelm?”

Taemin shrugged. “I don’t really care. He’s going to get smashed to pieces and I sure as hell don’t want to miss that.”

“I don’t understand how an entire city can take pleasure in such a violent…sport.” Kibum grumbled.

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t like it, but you know better than to defy the king’s rules. We are honored guests in this stadium and I expect you to act with maturity as long as we are permitted to stay in this city.” Jinki chastised.

Kibum huffed, turning his attention back to the arena below them. Nighthelm was a monstrous creature. Some sort of Orc hybrid, a too long suppressed race that was gradually dying out. Jinki gave their race another 200 years before they would become obsolete. He carried a spiked club and a large wooden shield was strapped to his left arm. He towered over humans by at least two heads and atop his own head were two blunt horns, removed when he had been captured.

His opponent was new to the area. Rumor had it he had offered the king an army and when he could not provide it he was sentenced to die in the arena. Presumably this was to be a quick fight, even though Gravekeeper was wearing a full suit of armor and carried a blunt sword.

Nighthelm swung his club, catching Gravekeeper’s side and flinging him across the arena. He landed painfully against the dirt and the smaller man haltingly rose up to his feet. He flung his sword away and reached up to his shoulder, unbuckling the armor he wore. Nighthelm stopped in his tracks and stared at him in confusion, watching carefully to see his next move. The crowd erupted into a series of angry shouts and complaints, furious at what would likely give Nighthelm a nearly instantaneous win should he land another solid hit on Gravekeeper.

And then something happened nobody would have ever expected. Gravekeeper stood, his armor in shambles around him, head bent for a long moment. Nighthelm stepped forward, winding up for his next hit when Gravekeeper straightened up, locking eyes with his opponent as his hand rose, palm stretched outwards. Nighthelm stopped in his tracks, cocking his head to the side in confusion. The earth rumbled and from the dirt rose up skeletons. Gravekeeper spoke, low forbidden words spilling from his lips.

From where he was seated Jinki felt the words deep in his core, darkness within them and wickedness at their core. A shudder ran through him and he could sense the discomfort flooding from the others. “Jinki, what do we do?” Taemin hissed.

“Nothing. We do nothing.” Jinki spoke with panic clear in his voice. He couldn’t tear his eyes from the scene below, couldn’t avoid watching Nighthelm get slashed over and over by the skeletons, all of whom had swords in their hands and within moments Nighthelm collapsed backwards. The skeletons didn’t let up their assault and Minho finally jumped to his feet, hand tightening into a fist and the dust of the arena swirled up into a twisting vortex, engulfing the skeletons and splitting them apart and scattering them into their individual pieces. Taemin flickered away and Jinki could just barely see him through the dust cloud, and then he was gone again. 

“Where’d Taemin go?” Jonghyun asked.

“We’re leaving.” Jinki snapped, jerking out of his seat and trusting the others to follow him. Once they were clear of the arena Jinki teleported them to the location Taemin had told him. He stood before the damaged and bleeding body of Nighthelm, the warrior still breathing as Taemin tended his wounds. “Taemin?” Jinki asked hesitantly, not sure of the youngest’s plans. 

“Nothing in the rules calls for the butchering of this man.” Taemin snapped, pressing a cloth to another large gash. “Sorcery is forbidden in the arena yet nobody stopped what was happening.”

“Is it really forbidden?” Minho whispered to Jonghyun.

“I have no idea.” Jonghyun whispered back.

“Taemin you can’t just take a challenger out of arena limits.”

“He’s one of the last of his kind Jinki, we can’t just let his race die out because of a _necromancer.”_

“Are you sure that’s what he is?” Kibum asked.

Taemin got to his feet, stopping in front of Kibum and Jinki. “We’re in dangerous company. If he is capable of rising up an army of invincible skeletons, that could bring the destruction of hundreds of cities and tens of thousands of homes and families. We cannot let him live.”

“We need to go home, figure things out, make plans that don’t involve you going back in there and exposing yourself in front of thousands of people.”

Taemin grit his teeth. “Fine. But you better figure out what we’re going to do. I got too close to him earlier.” And then he stalked off.

“He means what I think he means right?” Jonghyun asked, looking at Jinki with alarm.

Jinki nodded, sighing as he brushed past him, following Taemin.

 

\---  
“Here look at this.” Jonghyun said, pushing a book into the middle, holding the page down with his finger.

“That looks similar.” Minho said, glancing between the sketched amulet drawn on the book and the one lying shattered in the middle of the table.

Kibum shook his head. “No it’s not right. There’s dark magic in this amulet, the notes on the one in the book don’t match up. Sorry Jonghyun.”

Jonghyun shrugged. “We’ll just keep looking.”

Jinki abandoned his book to pick up one of the pieces, flipping it over. He frowned as he noticed a faint symbol engraved in the upper corner of the piece. He flipped the rest of the amulet over and pushed the pieces back together. “Can anyone interpret this?” He asked, staring at the strange markings with awe and slight trepidation.

The others crowded around and collectively shook their heads. “But that narrows it down.” Kibum said.

“How so?”

Kibum pulled another book off of the stack and flipped through the pages. He began reading the words under his breath, skimming the pages. “I know where Taemin got this.” He suddenly said.

“What? Where?” 

“I don’t know if you guys can read it because it’s transcribed in a dead language but this table can help me figure out it’s last location.”

“We could just ask Taemin.” Minho said.

“No we cannot.” Jinki replied. “Tell me where you need to go and I’ll take you all there.”

“Okay give me a minute I’m a bit rusty with this. Let me see the symbols.” He gestured for the amulet and Jonghyun pushed it towards him. Kibum squinted, struggling to decode the writing. “I think I’ve got it.” He grabbed a piece of paper and started scrawling coordinates, passing the page to Jinki. “Can you take us there?”

 

\---  
Taemin didn’t bother to let the others catch up to him. He shut off his mind from Jinki’s concerned probing and wandered aimlessly, lost in his thoughts. He could feel the burning of magic in him, dark and warring with the life of virtue he’d sought to lead. For the first time in his life he cursed his gift, cursed himself for getting too close. He let himself flicker from place to place, searching for a quiet place to think. He stumbled into a dimly lit forest, overgrown and uninhabited. He could hear waves lapping at the shore of what he presumed was an island, and he stumbled towards the outcropping of a rock, curling underneath it for shelter and closing his eyes in exhaustion.

When he awoke it was dark out and after a moment he realized what had awoken him. A twig snapped in the distance and the sound was harsh in Taemin’s ears. He sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes and after a moment of self-evaluation he found he could no longer feel the darkness inside him. He exhaled in relief and got to his feet, intent on investigating the sound that had awoken him. He stepped between the trees and what stood before him sent a rush of horror through him.

 

\---  
Kibum glanced around the scenery, steps in front of a cave. “Someone was definitely here recently. That’s odd. Where exactly are we?” He asked Jinki.

“We’re not that far from home actually. I think this is a tourist spot. I’m going to go ask around about this place. I’ll be back in a couple hours. Let me know if you need anything.”

Minho was poking his head inside the cave, curious as he glanced back at Kibum and Jonghyun before stepping inside. “It’s really dark.” He said, and a moment later Kibum sent a burst of light to the ceiling, illuminating the dark space. 

Jonghyun frowned, crouched to the ground where he read a series of numbers engraved on a tombstone. “Fascinating.” He said, though there was still trepidation in his voice. 

“Do the numbers mean anything to you?” Minho asked, reading over his shoulder.

Jonghyun shook his head. “Not really. I can’t remember what we were even doing that year.”

Kibum crouched down across from Jonghyun. “I can’t recall either but I don’t remember anything important happening that decade.” He pressed his finger against a thumbprint. “I hope whatever mortal disturbed this area wasn’t affected.”

“I’m surprised anyone even came in here. One would think the presence of such dark magic would have turned anyone away before they even reached the island.”

“Not always. Some are more susceptible.” Minho said, getting up to examine the drawings on the wall.

“A wolf pack was here.” Kibum noted. “What are you looking at?” He asked Minho.

“I don’t know. These feel familiar.” Minho pressed his fingers against a shaky line drawn on its own section of wall. “There’s a bunch of these lines.”

Jonghyun crowded next to Minho. “Could it be marking days? They’re in groups of ten.”

“Who the fuck groups days in sets of ten?” 

“No clue. But days makes sense doesn’t it?”

“There looks like there’s eight sets and then a couple lines on their own. Eighty-four days?”

Kibum frowned. “That seems excessive. There’s another room here.” Kibum said, sending another burst of light to illuminate the room. “Huh.” 

“What?” Minho asked, following close behind.

“Is this a sacrificial alter?” Jonghyun asked.

“Seems like it. This is a blood sigil.” Kibum gestured at the ground around a pedestal. 

“What kind of sigil? And why is this whole area here covered in blood markings?” Jonghyun was carefully inspecting the alter and the rings of blood that covered the floor on the far side of the room. 

“This is human blood.” Minho noted. “It’s not fresh by any means, but everything is so well preserved in here it doesn’t smell older than a couple years. I’m curious as to how this area was unsealed in the first place.”

“The blood sigil around this pedestal is sealed with blood magic. I can sense that whatever wolves were here came into this room and based on the energy just above the book it seems like someone was close enough to nearly touch it, but I don’t think they did. But the book itself is sealed with blood magic. I can’t actually open it.” Kibum said, abandoning the pedestal to join Minho and Jonghyun, examining the rings of blood for himself.

“That’s strange. Who would know how to seal something like this?” Jonghyun asked.

“There were plenty of sorcerers we never knew about, I’m sure one of them was capable of this sort of thing. Most of this is so complex and unique I barely understand it.” Kibum pointed to a set of blood stains on the stone slab that served as an alter. “Humans were sacrificed here and the evidence of that was very carefully removed. This looks like the only set of stains that resisted that sort of purging. I’d say it was either from the first sacrifice or the last.”

“Remorse?” Minho asked.

“Could be. But this tells me we’re dealing with a form of necromancy. It’s unlike anything any of us have ever seen, but it’s necromancy. I think. The way these rings are arranged it makes the most sense.”

They sat silently for a moment, the fact sinking in before they got up, turning to the artwork on the walls. The sketching made more sense in the light of necromancy, the figures of skeletons clustered together appearing more to be an army of undead rather than nonsensical artwork.

“How does blood magic work exactly?” Jonghyun asked absently.

“Well most of the time only those who share blood can use it. If something was locked with blood magic only those in a familial line could have access to it. If an object was infused with it you could only use it if you were related to the maker. Why?” Kibum asked.

Jonghyun didn’t reply and Kibum turned around, curious. Something unreadable was etched into Jonghyun’s expression as he stared down at the book on the pedestal. “You said you couldn’t open the book.” He said softly.

“Yes.”

Jonghyun tucked his thumb under the cover of the book and lifted it, the spine cracking as it was opened for the first time in centuries. “I’m beginning to understand why Taemin wants nothing to do with this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on twitter for more info, updates, or to give me fic ideas @kmismatchedsock

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter for more info, updates, or to give me fic ideas @kmismatchedsock


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